We had been driving all day, enjoying plentiful sightings of birds and general game. The car was packed full of holiday paraphernalia. I had purposely kept my new camera accessible, but I had also purposely not attached the new ‘big’ lens. Due to space constraints and also being in the mindset that it would take something ‘super special’ to make me want to use the camera at this early point in the journey anyway. This particular bush trip was particularly exciting, seeing that my husband, Nic would be accompanying me for a change. I often go off to the bush when Nic has overseas work to attend to. At this stage, it should be noted that, each time I embark on a bush adventure, I always have an idea in mind of something special that I’d really like to see on that particular trip. A special ‘request’ that I put forth. This time, I’d made up my mind that this was going to be a “leopard cub” trip. Sounds like a fool proof formula. Right? I put the idea out to the universe and then I carry on, letting nature do its thing. Do my ‘ideas’ always come to fruition?? Well, I’m still waiting on my pangolin sighting. But apart from that, Kruger and I generally have quite a good understanding about how the system works.

 

 

Having left home at 4 am (a very late departure if you ask me, a very early departure if you ask my husband), we reached the south of Kruger National Park by mid- morning. We were headed for the bottom north or the park. By sticking to the tar roads, we had made good progress to the center of the park. By mid afternoon we were certainly hankering for a break from the main road. We were confident that we had enough hours left in the day to take a few detours, still allowing us sufficient time to reach camp before the gates closed. There is a lovely little dust road that I’ve come to know quite well. I had fabulous success with leopard sightings on the same road , during my Jan/Feb trip earlier this year. I spotted the same big male leopard on two separate occasions and established the idea that the little dusty track must be slap bang in the middle of his territory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following was taken from an email sent back home during May 2012, a few weeks after I had started working as a field guide/hostess (and just about everything else) in a private big 5 reserve in KZN. Having no guests in camp, my managers/friends invited me to join them at their house for dinner … 

Allow me paint the picture, set the scene. It was late afternoon; Dave and Debbie’s house is maybe 250m from my house, off into unfenced wilderness. To get to their house, from our staff houses, you make your way down our lodge access road. The track is very steep and winding, with thick bushveld vegetation obscuring your visual on either side.

I had only been to Dave and Deb’s house once before. When I did so, I travelled by foot. On this particular occasion, not being sure of who might be wanting to use which vehicle later that evening and, reasoning that there was still a fair amount of late afternoon light about. I thought nothing of travelling by foot again. It would be dark by the time I returned home, but then someone could drive me back up to the house – you just never know what kind of tomfoolery one might encounter . Wandering about the wilds in the hours reserved for nocturnal mischiefs is definitely not a wise idea. So off into the wilderness I wandered, a Mozambiquan style sling bag (containing my torch, phone, lip ice, my beanie and a pack of cards) slung over one shoulder, my guitar slung over my other shoulder and a “Savanna” cider in my hand, of course!

Although +- 250 meters may not seem like much of a distance by ‘Normal standards”. When you’re actually walking it, winding your way down a little dust road crowded by acacia thicket and buffalo thorn, that’s when you realise that 250 m feels rather far- but then again any distance feels like an eternity when you have to walk through unfenced big 5 territory! I was actually thinking to myself as I walked, casting a suspicious eye from one patch of giant thatching grass to the next. I wondered what I might do if something came charging through the bushes… I wouldn’t really have been able to successfully run anywhere, because I was a bit far from anywhere to actually run to. There would be no chance of outrunning an elephant, buffalo, rhino or any other dangerous game over such a distance.

So with this in mind, I mulled over a few possible “plans of action under being the victim of someone else’s plan of attack” (still working on a code name for that one). Maybe I’d play the angry animal a little tune on my guitar, an “I’m not as tasty as I look! Promise!” kind of compilation. Or, for fear of not being able to musically dazzle under such pressure, perhaps I could offer it a sip of cider… Or, if all else failed- lob it on the noggin with the cider bottle!!??  Anyway, my musings did not progress further as I arrived at Dave and Deb’s house without incident. They welcomed me in and we sat on the couch enjoying a glass of wine, some soft music playing in the background. Curious thoughts of what may be lurking beyond the giant thatching grass soon put to rest.

A length of maybe 15 minutes had passed when suddenly, mid conversation we all froze! Our attention captured by an unmistakable sound, all too familiar to each of us. We could hear our big male lion roaring! We were SO excited. Our reserve is large, and the lions divide their residency throughout all regions, so it’s not every day that you hear them calling so close to home. We turned the music off and listened. He called again. Sounding quite nearby now, just below the dam wall perhaps. The dam wall is a distance of about 300m away from the house. In our state of excitement, without speaking, we unanimously rose to our feet and made our way outside so that we could hear him calling “properly”.

Debbie and I were first out of the front door. We rushed out to where the cars were parked. We strained our ears, willing to hear his powerful call echo through the last moments of twilight, penetrating the impending dusk with the urgency and respect that only the roar of a lion can command.

As previously stated, it was by this stage the last possible moments of twilight. Those last few moments you have before the African night descends on you, plummeting you into a world of inky blackness. There we stood, two brave little figures, alone, vulnerable to the elements, straining our ears for suggestion of anything lion-ish. We had not ventured too far from the house ( maybe 4 meters) and we had not been outside long (maybe 5 or 10 seconds)… what happened next is a bit of a blur to me now,  but it has been and potentially could ALWAYS be the craziest and most adrenalin filled moment of my life.

The only thing I recall is the complete obliteration of the still of evening twilight. Hearing the most awful gut wrenching growl. Feeling the reverberation of deep and “meaty” guttural thunder tearing through my soul. To follow; an indescribable amalgamation of high speed action, heightened with the drama of slow motion effect.  A fearsome lioness came tearing forth from the darkness. She sailed through the grass. Directly towards us! We don’t know exactly what happened next, as our survival instincts took the wheel, a split second compulsion to “flight” rather than “fight”. We have no idea how we got back through the door of the house, or who got inside first. The scene in my mind was that from a cartoon skit (I am laughing hysterically now as I recall the events).

All I can picture is the two of us levitating simultaneously into the air, our legs moving at a furious pace before our feet even hit the ground. As I said before, we have no idea who got inside first or how we even got inside at all. I remember tearing past Dave (who hadn’t even made it out to the car park before she charged), Debbie screaming “She’s RIGHT here! She’s RIGHT BLOODY HERE”!!!  And then, I just remember being completely confused as to why on earth Dave wasn’t following suit and dashing inside… I actually think Debs and I were so fast that he didn’t even have time to comprehend what was happening! HILARIOUS!! Once we were all inside and the door had been sufficiently slammed, we immediately turned off the lights and peered through the window. We saw her then, the sub adult lioness (who is pretty close to being fully grown); standing in the car park, looking utterly confused and bewildered herself. Her face was the picture of someone who had just been dazzled and awed by the most awesome disappearing act ever to have been performed, in the history of the world!!

Once more, adrenalin took over. We charged out into the back garden-WHICH IS FENCED, hoping to get a better look at her (probably needing additional verification too, that we had in fact just been charged by a lion). Adrenaline fuelled pandemonium ensued. We burst through the back door and I immediately (and most inelegantly) collided with a large garden pot. I nearly took out both Dave and Debbie (who had just collided with one another) as I did so. Despite the awkward tumble, and the fact that D&D had been temporarily stunned on impact, we hardly missed a step. We were however,  soon forced to do some “direction correction” as we realised we had idiotically stampeded to the left (the opposite side of the house to where we KNEW the lioness was). In a state of blind hysteria, still trying to process the events which had just unfolded, we were able to view the fierce lady cat then, as she walk rather agitatedly past the back fence. She flicked her tail, communication her disdain towards the encounter we had so recklessly forced upon her. She anxiously made her way along the fence line, with heavy padded steps. From there, she melted into the darkness. Fading from view as she made her way up the two track. Towards our staff houses -THE VERY SAME ROAD I HAD JUST SO CASUALLY MEANDERED DOWN MOMENTS BEFORE.

Not to downplay what could have been a rather unhappy ending, but oh my word! Under the influence of the adrenaline drug, did we laugh hysterically. It was such a phenomenal experience actually!! It was crazy and scary and amazing all at the same time. An experience for the memory bank, most definitely.

We then, over a MUCH needed glass of whiskey, dissected the whole scenario. In all honesty, we were pretty foolish not to foresee what could potentially happen. We were obviously not thinking clearly. Completely surprised to hear the male calling so close to the lodge. We acted fully on impulse and, through our excitement we didn’t even stop to consider that there might be more than one lion around, spread out… as they do… duh! Seriously, to have her burst forth from the bush like that was the last thing on earth that we were expecting; the whole experience was just completely surreal!

We looked at the spoor the following morning. We estimated that night that she came within 5 meters of us… the spoor told a different story- she came within 2 meters of us. Dave reckons that the growl she gave us was the growl that lions give when they are in attack mode. It wasn’t a warning as per usual lion etiquette- that growl was the introduction of the “mane “event so to speak- sorry,  can’t resist a good pun (or a bad one)! It’s no secret that lions often split up when they move through the bush, especially if they are hunting. We have a total of 9 lions in our pride here on the reserve.  I think we were correct when we suspected the calls we heard to be coming from our big male. He was probably some distance behind the rest of the pride and was calling to let the females know his location. As I said before, this particular female is a sub-adult which means she is less experienced and also less confident that a fully grown mature lioness (she was about 15 kg’s off being fully grown at the time).

She was probably doing one of two things. Either, waiting in the grass (which just so happened to be located directly outside the house) for the rest of the pride. Or, she was just making her way past when we all came hurtling through the front door like a herd of  hyperactive tap-dancing wildebeest on a sugar high. We must have looked most intimidating to the poor lady, in our reckless state of excitement. She surely got a big fright and dropped down into the grass when she first saw us immerge from the house. And then, when we kept advancing directly towards her in a blinded state of elation, she probably felt that there was nothing left to do, other than to defend herself through attack. Luckily for us, due to her lack of experience and lack of confidence, she backed out. That’s our theory anyway… it could have been completely different from the lioness’s point of view, but I think the theory makes sense.

To explain how her pursuit concluded the night of our encounter, to be quite honest I couldn’t tell you. I’m not sure exactly what happened from her side, after she came charging towards us. We all  know VERY well that one is NEVER supposed to run at times like this … but let me just tell you-  when you are caught off guard like that. When you’re a glass of wine down, and you have it in the back of your mind that the safety of the house is just behind you. Let me assure you. YOU RUN LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER RUN BEFORE! Truth be told, I think it was our simultaneous levitation exercise that stunned the living daylights out of her. Forcing her to retreat in a state of bewildered admiration. All is well that ends well, as “they” say… little did I know this was not to be my last dramatic encounter with this particular female (and her two rather scary brothers)… but that’s a tale for another time.

 

 

Let me just tell you that hobbling around the bush on crutches in no easy task but after my experiences this past weekend I  feel as though I am now a fully competent 3×3 off-road “crutcher”!!!!! I had to learn pretty fast I must say…

I suffered an unfortunate sporting injury two weeks ago and I’ve been hobbling around on crutches ever since. My husband left for Senegal this past Saturday for a two week work stint so I’ve been fending for myself ever since (with competency for the most part I must add). I am fairly capable of looking after myself now, I can do most things with the exception of being able to drive, that (like so many of the canvases inside my studio) is still a work in progress!

Whenever my husband goes away on work trips I try to keep myself as busy as possible to make the time pass quickly. Apart from spending time in my studio any bushveld related activity is my preference.  I was delighted to receive an invite last week to join some friends who work in  Nambiti Private Game Reserve (situated just outside Ladysmith KZN). I worked in Nambiti from 2012 to 2013 before leaving to pursue painting full time and I’ve remained very close with the staff I worked with.

I visit Nambiti often to see my friends. There are a few lodges in the reserve that stock my artwork so I often use that as an excuse to visit the reserve. Elephant Rock Private Safari lodge was a wonderfully fun and cheery place to work, the managers are amazing, full of life and character and so when It was suggested I travel up to join them for a bush Picnic I wasn’t going to say no. My mom and I are very close , equally as both bush mad as the other and so I asked her to accompany me on the outing.

Nambiti is a beautiful place to visit; It is home to a wide variety of flora and an incredibly diverse landscape. It houses many different animal species, big 5 included. Fishing is a favourite “free time” activity for many of the staff that work there. One of the best things about working at Elephant Rock was that is has its own private dam situated below the lodge. As I once told my very concerned Grandmother “it IS safe to go fishing in a big 5 reserve, you just need to check where the hippos are and then go to the OPPOSITE side of the dam, and then you just keep an eye out for elephants… and lions”.

 

Soon after we arrived in the reserve on Sunday we set off  in the cruiser, journeying up to the north of the reserve to a beautiful picnic spot called “Cascades”. As with most places in Nambiti Cascades is un-fenced and visiting there requires that you keep an eye out for any animal type visitors that might want to join your picnicking or fishing efforts.

The picnic site is situated at the bottom of a beautiful gorge with a towering cliff face in front of it. The little two track that leads down to the river is quite precarious, checking that the area is clear of all visible elephant and/or buffalo activity is a prerequisite to heading down there as the layout of the location makes it very easy to get cut off from your escape route.

 

Sunday was a gorgeous day, very hot, about 35 degrees C. The majority of dams in Nambiti are very dry at the moment due to lack of rain and so we  knew there was a chance that the elephants would make their way down to the river in search of water but the chance of animal encounters is a given any time you venture into the bush so we weren’t about to let the thought of that ruin our outing.

We didn’t take long to settle down in complete relaxation at Cascades, the able bodies among us  set off eagerly to go fishing in the pools upstream from the picnic site- tugging at my heart strings as they did so! I really enjoy fishing but I foresaw accidents in my near future if I attempted to partake in such activities in my condition, and so, in efforts to appear responsible I chose to sit it out, relaxing in the shade of an old Combretum tree instead.

Despite the rather low water level, once close to the gentle churn of the lethargic rapids the audible connection from fisherman to picnickers is made near impossible. In addition, as any good fisherman knows, once you start fishing and the fish start biting, you don’t focus your attention elsewhere.

The fish were indeed biting, the sun was baking and everyone was having a wonderful time. I was fully relaxed, lost to my surrounds in quiet contemplation of all things pleasant. My contemplations  were cut short however, when my olfactory senses suddenly entertained by something all too familiar, something seemingly far off yet strangely pungent at the same time…there is no mistaking the smell of elephants in the bush. Looking around me though, there was a fair amount of old elephant dung lying about and I wasn’t sure if a change in wind direction had  now bought this to the attention of my nostrils. Before I could ponder the scent much further my ears picked up a faint sound, faint yet strangely sharp and indicative at the same time. The fishermen were by this stage quite high up the river, consumed by their fishing activities with little regard for much else. Rather than leaving my ears and nose in their current state of question I thought I might take a little “crutch shuffle” downstream to see if I could gather further information.

And so off I hopped…

I must say that I’m really quite impressed by my command over my recently acquired means of locomotion – friends and family might tell you grossly embellished tales of falls, trips and tangles that I’ve endured in my short crutching career- my husband would certainly tell you that he has “very real” concerns of the possibility of me sustaining another injury subsequent to the poor level of my crutching abilities, but I know from PERSONAL experience that people tend to be overly dramatic and that I’ve got it covered… And so I hopped along peacefully, I crutched slowly over the rather treacherous terrain that lay before me, mindful of the obstacles that lay in my path, hopping gracefully over rocks, fallen branches and the occasional elephant dung pile too of course. Although I crutched thoughtfully, I crutched with purpose, making my way to a clearing downstream where I hoped I might get a view of the opposite side of the river. I managed to journey with perfect timing because just as I neared the clearing I was greeted by the sight of the entire Nambiti elephant herd, charging at full force down the river bank towards the cool water below, just in front of me!!!

So I found myself in that all too familiar position where caution meets wind in one swift throw…

I knew very well that the primary objective of the Elephants was to get down to the water to drink but I also knew that we had set up our picnic in a favourite spot of theirs and who’s to say they wouldn’t want to pay that spot a visit. I had probably covered a distance of about 150 m on my little expedition, not terribly far by normal standards but quite an alarmingly substantial distance when the terrain is treacherous and you’re locomotively challenged AND there are fast moving elephants just behind you!!!Wow, did I cover ground, I swear I left a little dust trail behind me clearing rocks, branches and dung piles with seemingly effortless precision.

My mom and one of my friends,  Piet were relaxing by the picnic spot instead of venturing to the river, they had seen me wander off and I could now tell by the concerned/ impressed look on their face that they knew that anyone crutching at such a speed was doing so for good reason!! I was able to shout a warning to them that they ellies were coming which in turn caused them to jump into action. I don’t’ think I had even made it all the way back before Piet had packed up half our picnic, throwing blankets and food and all sorts of paraphernalia into the open car with reckless abandon, his efforts reflective not of my lack of speed but more so of his impressively fast, ridiculously impressive packing-up skills. My mom, in a way that only a concerned mother could, managed to attract the attention of the oblivious river crew who although they couldn’t hear what she was shouting, quickly figured out that the area needed to be evacuated. The bush is quite thick down by the river and visibility is fairly poor once you venture out of the picnic spot clearing, by this stage we could hear and most definitely smell the ellies, they were very close to our exit and we knew that we needed to move with extreme determination if we were going to get there ahead of them.

We piled onto the cruiser (which is  a task in itself  when you can only use one leg let me tell you) and we began to edge forward,  slowly, not wanting to collide with anything large and grey that could possibly be lurking on the other side of the thickets. As we rounded the corner we were greeted by the beautiful view of the herd, making their way steadily towards our spot, allowing us just enough time to gap it up the two track exit road. We drove to the lookout spot just above the cascades to appreciate the jovial herd from a safe distance and were delighted to be treated to a sighting of the newest member of the family, the tiny baby of the heard matriarch.

We watched the elephants for quite some time, trying to determine their intentions for the rest of the afternoon, hoping that they would move on from the picnic site. We went for a game drive to pass time and upon our return the elephants had moved off and we deemed it safe to resume our picnicking activities.

All in all it was a lovely little adventure.

I have been most frustrated by this injury, unable to partake in my daily running activities, unable to attend fitness classes… thankful though that my kind of painting doesn’t always require the use of both ankles. I am, like so many of us a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, I’ve just been struggling to find the reason behind this particular occurrence. I am pleased to say that since this little encounter I have now managed to conjure up reasoning that I find to be satisfactory…  which goes as follows; Had I not been injured I would most definitely have been fishing, had I been fishing the entire party would most probably have been together down at the river and we would NOT have noticed the approaching elephants, most probably not until we looked up to see them enjoying a “flying fish” beer from our cooler box! From there things would have got very interesting, not only because we are very protective over our beer. Most importantly, had I not been injured I would never have known just how fast I can move on crutches under pressure, which is definitely a very handy thing to know!!

I only wish my husband had been there to witness my impressive execution, it would have made the  numerous times that he’s seen me wipe out over these past few weeks far less significant!!

Never the less this experience just goes to show that there’s never a dull moment in the bush.